Liquid-fuel tank.



P. C. COSEO.

LIQUID .'E'UBL TANK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1912.

1, l 32,833. Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

STATES PATENT clarion.

FREDERICK c. cosno, or COLUMBUS, omo', AssIeNoR To THEJE'rrREY'MA'NUrAcf TURING COMPANY, or'coLUMBUs, omda CORPORATION oroHIo.-

LIQUID-FUEL TANK.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

Application led September 25, 1912. Serial No. 722,359.

' To aZZwhom tt may concern.' v

lBe it known that I, FREDERICK C. Cosne, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of' Franklin and State of Ohio',have invented certainnew and useful Improvementsin Liquid-Fuel Tanks, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein to4the accompanying drawing. n

The invention relates to fuel tanks of the sort adapted for use onvehicles the motors of which receive theirr energy from liquid fuel. Thefuel may be used either in amotor of lthe internalcombustion typeoriunder a boiler to generate steam.

flhe principalf'ob3e'ct of-the invention is te provide a tank havingdischarge connections arranged to insure the retention .of a reserve-supplv of fuel which canbe releasedonly by the action of the operator.

Another obgect 1s to provide automatic means for positively preventingthefllingg 9,'-butwh1ch has suicient jbuoyancy'when of the tank above -acertain predetermined level.. 'i .25-n

Y following-specification ,an

Other objects ...will- 'bef-apparent. from claims.

A fuel tank embodyin especially well adapted'L or use'fin connectionwithgasolene locomotivesv intended for use in and about mines..` As iswellknown there is great .danger in mines, especially .cc'al mines, ofexplosions resulting from the 'ignitionof aA gaseous or dustyatmosphere.v

On accountof this'danger' of explosion it is essential thatthe gasolenetank of the locomotive beilled. outside-.of the mine. If 'it were filledinside there would be great dan'- `,ger of the resulting gasolene vaporsbecommg ignited .and setting firel to the explosive By means of a devicesufficient gasolene .in his reserve supply` to make the run tothefilling stationoutside ofthe mine.

Of the drawing-Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through a fuel tankembodying `one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional viewthrough a. fue] tank embodying another form of'my invention. Referringto Fig. 1 of the drawing, l repthe,

my `invention is,

resents as a whole the main body of the tank, which may be formed ofsheet metal as f shown, or in any other desired way. In the top wall ofthe tanky there is an aperture which `is `mounted a' frame 2 securedinplace by rivets 3. To the frame 2 rthere isbolted a plate 4 havinga-threaded aperture 5 into i which is. screwed the enjd ofthefillingfppe 6'. At thelower side of the plate 4 there is a largethreaded recess which-registers with the apertureA 5. At-the inner sideof vthis recess there is a strainery 7 which is held.

inl place by a threaded ring; 8 having at' its lower side an inwardprojectingI annularv ange. Positioned within'the ring 8 and above thehorizontal iange thereof is a valve closure 9 having a depending stem10. Pivf vwhich is suiiicient to liftgthe valvev closure immersedl inthe;v liquid fuel to press the 'valve closure closely against thefiangeof the" ring Sto cut off' the passage through the aperture and thepipe Formed at the upper side ofthe plate4 is la vent chamber 14 whichis closed at the top by means of a valve 15 whichV has depending slottedand serves to' limit the movementl of the guide fingers 16. A Cotter pin16?? passes through the slots of the guide fingers. r

valve. `This'valve has suflicient weight-te...

close' the vent against the admission of air and dust but not enoughtointerfere with the outward flow of air during the fillingof the tank. lv

In the bottom wall of theta-nk there isfan aperture in which is mounteda flange 17 held in place by rivets 17, Securedl to this yflange 17is aplate 18 provided with twoi i threaded' apertures 19 and 20.' Into theseapertures 19 and 20 thereare ittedpipes 21 and 22 which connect by meansof a. two- -way lvalve 23 with a pipe 24 which leads to l i,

the carburetor or other device for utilizin the fuel. It will be seen`that by means of .i the valve 23 either of the pipes 21 and 22 may beconnected with the pipe 24. One ofthe apertures in the plate 18, as forinstance 19, extends upward through a boss 25I l`-'so that its upper endis at a level considerably above the upper end of the other aperture 20.At the upper end of the aperture 20 there is provided a valve needle 26which is adapted to entirely close the aperture.- Pivotally connected tothe upper end of the needle 26 is a lever 27 which is pivoted at 28 tothe plate 18. The other end of the lever 27 carries a float 29. When thetank is partially filled the buoyancy of the float 29 serves to forcethe needle 26 downward to entirely cut ofl' the passage through theaperture 20. However, when the level of liquid in the tank falls belowacertain level,the float assumes a position suchthat the needle 26 isheld away from its seat `and the aperture 20 is opened.

. In operation, when it is desired to fill the tank the operatorsimplypours gasolene or other fuel into the funnel from which it flowsthrough the pipe 6 and the aperture 5 around the valve closure 9 intothe tank, it being understood that the valve closure is held off fromits seat by the float 13. However, as soon as the tank becomes filledthe fioa-t 13 is elevated and the valve closure 9 is drawn down againstits seat and the further flow of liquid into the tank is prevented.Because of this automatic valve it is impossible for the operator toflood or overflow the tank. During the filling operation, the air inthetank can freely pass out under the valve 15. However, this valve isnormally held closed by its own weight and prevents the flow into thetank of air or dust. When the tank is filled the float 29 holds theneedle 26 in position to close the aperture 20. Therefore, in order toget a flow of fuel to the carbureter the valve 23 must be set to providecommunication through the pipe-21. The fuel flows out through the pipe21 until the level in the tank is lowered to the upper end of theaperture 19. When this level has been reached the float 29 will havebeen lowered to such an extent that the needle 26 will. have been liftedfrom its seat, thus opening the aperture 20. As soon as there is afailure of gasolene to flow through the aperture 19 and the pipe 21 theoperator simply'turns the valve 23 to make connection with the pipe 22.The gasolene in the tank below the level of the upper end of theaperture 19 then becomes available and this is sufficient to enable thelocomotive or other vehicle to run to a place Where thetank can berefilled. It will be observed that upon refilling, the float 29 againcloses the aperture 20, thus making it absolutely necessary for theoperator to again turn the valve 23 to connectI the pipe 21 with thepipe 24.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a modified form of my invention. In this view Ihave shown a tank having a partition 30 which divides the tank into twounequal parts Eiland 32.

pipe 21.

The pipe 21 communicates with the larger part 31, and the pipe 22 withthe smaller part 32, each pipe preferably terminating at the bottomofthe tank. The valve needle 26 for the pipe 22 is controlled by the float29a which is located in the part 31 of the tank. The float 29a may beconnected with the valve needle 26 by means of the lever 27a pivoted tothe partition 30 at 28u and connected with the valve needle by means ofthe link 27h.

It will be clear thatl the operation of the device as shown in Fig. 2 issubstantially the same as that of the device shown in Fig. 1. The valve26 is-held closed so long as there is a supply of fuel in the part ofthe tank with which the pipe 21 communicates. It is only .after the fuelin this part of the tank has been exhausted or nearly exhausted that anfuel can be drawn from the part of the tanli with which the pipe 22communicates. The operator, therefore, must after-fillingthe tank turnthe valve 23 to cut off the pipe 22 and connect the pipe 21 before hecan get any flow of fuel to his carbureter. After the supply in the part31 is exhausted thenthe supply in the part 32 can be made available bythrowing the valve 23 to connect the pipe 22 and disconnect the I amaware that it has been before pro posed to provide a reserve supply ofliquid fuel which can be used by throwing a valve, but in all of theearlier devices with which I am familiar, it has been possible for theoperator, either carelessly or intentionally, to leave the valves sopositioned that the supposed reserve supply is used either before orsimultaneously with the main supply. In the device embodying myinvention, however, the automatic needle valve 26 prevents the use ofthe reserve' supply until the main supply has been entirely exhausted.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for containing and supplying liquid fuel, the combinationof a fuel container, a' discharge duct communicating with the containerat one oint, a second discharge duct communicating with the container atanother point, means for preventing a part of the fuel in the containerfrom flowing out through the first duct, a manually controllable valvefor connecting either duct with an outlet pipe, and a valve controlledby the level of the fuel in the container for closing the second duct solong as there is sufficient fuel toflow out through the first duct andfor opening the second duct when the supply of fuel which can flow outthrough the .first duct is exhausted.

2. In a device for containing and supplying liquid fuel, the combinationof a tank, two discharge ducts communicating with -the tanklat differentlevels, a manually conlll@ trollable valve for connecting either duct Intestimony whereof ax my signawith an outlet pipe, and a valveautomatiture, in presence of two witnesses. cally controlled by thelevel of the fuel in the tank for closing the lower duct when the 5 fuellevel is above the opening to the upperv Witnesses: l duct and foropening the lower duct when ALEX. M. Ron, the fuel level is below thesaid opening. DUDLEY T. FISHER.

FREDERICK C. COSEC.

